This invention relates in general to vehicle seats, and in particular to a structural support member for a vehicle seat including various vehicle components attached to the seatback and seat bottom.
In a vehicle impact condition, sudden large impact forces may be delivered to the occupant of the vehicle, such as in a rearward, frontal, or side impact. It is also common during large impact conditions for the head and limbs of the occupant to be forced against various panels and structures of the vehicle, thereby causing injury. Various countermeasures have been taken to help reduce the degree of injury during the impact conditions. For example, passive restraint systems, such as air bags or air curtains have been implemented into vehicles.
Additionally, vehicle seats for passenger vehicles have been equipped with accessories which limit the transmittal of impact forces to the seat and vehicle occupant. Vehicle seats commonly have an inverted U-shaped structural back frame having a pair of vertical side members joined together by a horizontally extending cross member positioned near the upper portion of the seat back. Often, these back frames are formed from tubular stock material which is bent to form the upper corners of the seat back.
When a vehicle is impacted from the side, for example by another vehicle, one vulnerable target is the door panel. An impact against a door panel is particularly dangerous for an occupant of the vehicle due to there being fewer protective mechanisms than exists for use during a frontal or rear impact. Additionally, during a side impact, a side panel or door panel is forced inwardly towards the passengers of the vehicle. The velocity and force of the intrusion of the door panel will vary with the speed and size of the striking vehicle. The location of the force will also vary with the size of the impacting vehicle. Nonetheless, any such intrusion could severely injure the occupants of the vehicle. Therefore, it would be advantageous to limit the intrusion of the side or door panel and transfer the force away from the occupant.